Monday, December 5, 2016

November in pictures

November went by in a whirlwind of weekend trips and uni work. I can't believe how fast this month went by, are we really celebrating Christmas in three weeks already? On the other hand, I kind of want it to be 2017 already because it's promising to be a very exciting year... But first, let's look back. I've got a few travel and restaurant tips in here for you.

I somehow didn't document the first couple of days of the month, so here's a pic from November 4th, at the central station in Antwerp on my way to Munich! // I love this month's Vogue Paris with Gigi on the cover. I didn't buy it though because it's kinda heavy and I wanted to travel as light as possible.

This Hello Kitty Snapchat filter was super cute and kinda #basic. // I love window seats on the plane, so I always try to book my seat in advance.

Arrived in Munich at the new terminal which is really nice. They even have a Hans Im Glück, which is a German burger chain (my tip: the sweet potato fries, so good). // Back in Munich for a short weekend. Check out my Munich weekend guide to see which hotspots I went to.

Avocado banana spinach smoothie from Bite Delite // My favourite restaurant in Munich: Cochinchina. Their DIY summer rolls are just the best thing ever. Even with tofu yes.

Truffle pasta and girl talk at Il Gattopardo // Late night drinks at the Circle Bar. Delicious cocktails in a cosy little bar! So nice to hang out with my Munich friend Isabel for a weekend ♡

Morso is one of my favourite coffee places in Munich. It's tiny, it's Italian and it's cheap. And if you're lucky there are sausage dogs! // Flew back to Brussels on Sunday which took me ages because of a bad connection. At least I had good seats (I swear my best flying tip is to check in online beforehand and picking a good seat: near the front of the plane, at the window and preferably in an empty row).

Bought a sourdough bread at Domestic, a bakery which just opened a new shop in the centre of Antwerp (next to Verso/opposite Boggi). The bread is delicious and the shop is super cute and tiny. // This was me this past month. We started watching Jane The Virgin in Munich on Sunday morning (it was snowing outside) and I got hooked immediately. I watched it every day this month until I ran out of episodes. When is season 2 coming out??

Although it's much harder to work out in the winter (cold, rain, dark etc.), I powered through and went to the gym about twice a week. Not as often as I'd like to, but still a good amount. Late classes, dinner and trips kind of got in the way. My gym got a bit of a make-over and I already like it a lot more now.

The world's cutest cat. Even cuter now that she's got her winter fur so she's extra fluffy and soft. // Went on a 14 kilometer walk on a Saturday which included shots of Jägermeister and Baileys-infused hot chocolate to ease the pain. Followed by a bonfire dinner and some dancing to old tunes. Such a fun idea!

November was also the last chance to find mushrooms in the forest. I found lots and lots of shii-take mushrooms and some big porcini mushrooms. I can't tell you how good they tasted! // I tried something new in the kitchen, inspired by a meal I had in St. Petersburg: celeriac risotto with porcini and parsley. I made it all vegan but couldn't help adding some parmesan cheese so I kind of cheated a little. This was A LOT of work (imagine cutting a celeriac into small bits which resemble risotto rice) but I will try to make it again and post the recipe here.

On the second Sunday of November I flew over to Dublin with some classmates for a couple of days. It was my first time in Ireland so I was excited to see what it had to offer! I'm making a little Dublin guide with restaurants and bars etc. so I'll tell you more in that post.

We spent our first night pub-hopping and doing some sightseeing at night.

The purpose of our trip was to visit some companies, but inbetween I tried to try as many hotspots I could possible manage (and try to get 4 guys to tag along. As you might understand, they weren't too excited when I showed them this salad bar) // On our way to Google we passed the Facebook European headquarters, which I wish we had time to visit.

Google was really cool to visit and so insanly big! 5000 people work at the European headquarters, there's a gym, swimming pool, doctor, bank and 7 restaurants in here, just to name a few things. I'm so happy I got the chance to visit this impressive company!

On our last day we went for brunch at a super cute place called Bibi's. // Talking about bee's ;)

During our trip we only had cloudy grey weather, except for on the last day. All of the sudden we saw Dublin in a very different light (litterally and figuratively). It's so much nicer with a little sun! // One last pint before leaving (a cider in my case).

I did a quick tour around Thomas Brown, which is like the Selfridges of Dublin. // Back home in Antwerp, where we've been getting the most beautiful sunsets the last few weeks!

Had a little high school reunion with some girls. We caught up over pizza and wine, the perfect combo. If you like pizza and you live in Antwerp, you should check my last post. If you don't live in Antwerp, check this one, I promise you'll love it ;)

Shopping for wedding gifts at one of my favourite stores in Antwerp, The Recollection. They have a big range of Aesop products so I can't help myself and always test some. I'm currently using an Aesop handsoap which I got from my sister and it's a little luxury every time I wash my hands. It's the perfect gift! // The shops in Antwerp are open on Sundays this month so it's extra busy but also cosy.

Lunch time at Nonius, where they have a big selection of vegetarian and even vegan sandwiches. So nice! They even have spelt bread. This is a really typical lunch for Belgian students. I couldn't eat this every day but sometimes I'm too lazy to make my own lunch. // This isn't actually my coffee but I thought it was cute. Coffee College does special coffees but I always order a soy flat white. The barista is a really friendly guy!

Flat white & a long *ss day at uni. We had class all day and then statistics from 6 till 9, fun day ;)

A delicous Thai curry dinner to celebrate a friends' birthday. I hadn't been to Mai Thai but it was really good actually. I had a very spicy tofu green curry. // Since Mai Thai is near the Oude Markt we did some night-touristing. I rarely come here but it's such a pretty sight at night.

Our cat Puma is the cuddliest cat ever. People always think all cats have the same personality but they're all completely different. They're not all mean haha! // Soy flat white at my favourite coffee place in Antwerp, Butcher's Coffee.

Vegetable sushi from the sushi place next to Delhaize in the Stadsfeestzaal. The sushi was okay, nothing special. At least it was enough to keep me going until my second dinner after a late class. // The Christmas light are up in town, it's so much more festive now, especially when I leave uni and it's already dark outside.

This month's pictures may be a bit deceiving, with all the trips etc., but don't be mistaken, I spent most of my time in class or working on group projects (or on Facebook if you look closely hehe). // Packing for my last trip of the month, a wedding in Valencia!

Back in Antwerp Central to catch the train to the airport. // I love that they sell Diptique now at the airport, it's perfect if you still need a gift for your hosts. I got a Christmas gift box with mini candles, such a cute gift (I hope!) The Christmas candles are so beautiful this year.

After a short flight (I slept all the way), I arrived in Valencia. Warm and crazy busy since I arrived in the middle of a shopping street during Black Friday sales. // After a frantic hour of shopping at Zara (20% off everything), we headed for a pre-wedding tapas dinner, where my major cheat weekend started (in terms of eating vegan, it was a dark weekend, oops!)

Bright and early the next morning with a basic breakfast: thick slices of toast with olive oil, an espresso and OJ // My outfit for the wedding, clothes borrowed from my stylish sister. Dress by Peter Pilotto, cute bag by Chloé and shoes from Zara.

The location of the wedding party after the ceremony. So pretty and kind of Hollywoord style old glam. // Happy with a matching flower wall in the back!

A little sunny moment shared with these peachy ladies. // The wedding car, a real classic in the most beautiful navy colour. I would also definitely choose an oldtimer for my wedding car.

A long and late lunch, with lots of delicious dishes. I had lobster and steak, which was hard to reject at a wedding in Spain. Although I don't enjoy eating meat so much it was actually okay to do it for once, especially since the quality was so high. But of course I'd rather skip it, but I thought it was silly to waste it all.. // A big party! We danced on Spanish music and lots of Enrique, induced by gin & tonics. Since the wedding started at 12:30 already, we were mega tired by 1 AM so the whole wedding party headed home or to the next club.

Next morning, ready to go home. So sad I couldn't stay longer, especially since I didn't get to see anything of Valencia while it was my first time there. It looks like a beautiful city, so I can't wait to return. I stayed at Lotelito which was really well located and very decent!

On the flight back I was lucky again and got a full row even though the flight was completely full? I don't know how I manage, but it feels like winning the lottery each time... well kinda // My 'hangover' meal was a noodle soup, it was the best I could do on the plane.

Bloomon has a gorgeous window at & Other Stories where you could buy flowers all week. Such a cool idea! // On Mondays I try to go to the gym and do groceries afterwards. There's no better way to start the week. I always get over-excited at Albert Heijn so I end up cycling home with THE heaviest gym bag in the world.

My view on my way to uni every morning, I enjoy it so much :) // Some drinks at Barbossa, which is still one of my go-to places in Antwerp.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I will make sure to post the Dublin tips ASAP, which is why I didn't show much of the city in this post. Have a great December, it's the last month of the year so make it count!